Policy Priority: Economic independence
The “Economic independence” policy priority aims to expand opportunities for people with disability to secure stable employment and improve their financial wellbeing. Progress is measured by tracking the proportion of people with disability employed in the Australian Public Service (APS), as well as the income gap between people with and without disability. There are 2 measures under this policy priority:
- Public sector employment (updated)
- Median gross income gap.
The updated measure is discussed below.
Measure: Public sector employment
Full name – Proportion of Australian Public Service employees with disability
The Australian Public Service Disability Employment Strategy 2020–2025 aims to significantly increase the representation of people with disability employed in the APS. For more information, see Data dictionary: Public sector employment.
Public sector employment
Latest update: 5.5% (December 2024)
Baseline: 5.1% (December 2021)
Progress status: No change
In December 2024:
- 9.7% of First Nations APS employees had disability
- 6.8% of APS employees from Inner regional areas had disability, compared with 3.1% from Very remote areas.
Figure 2.6: Proportion of Australian Public Service employees with disability, June 2016 to December 2024
The data in the graph and the table below show the proportion of Australian Public Service (APS) employees (aged 15 and over) who have disability. Biannual data from June 2016 to December 2024 are used. In December 2024, 5.5% of APS employees had disability, compared with 4.0% in June 2016.
Additional trend data can be found in the downloadable tables.
| Year | Proportion (%) |
|---|---|
| Jun 2016 | 4.0% |
| Dec 2016 | 4.1% |
| Jun 2017 | 4.1% |
| Dec 2017 | 4.2% |
| Jun 2018 | 4.2% |
| Dec 2018 | 4.2% |
| Jun 2019 | 4.2% |
| Dec 2019 | 4.5% |
| Jun 2020 | 4.7% |
| Dec 2020 | 4.8% |
| Jun 2021 | 5.0% |
| Dec 2021 | 5.1% |
| Jun 2022 | 5.2% |
| Dec 2022 | 5.2% |
| June 2023 | 5.3% |
| Dec 2023 | 5.4% |
| June 2024 | 5.4% |
| Dec 2024 | 5.5% |
Notes:
- A person has a disability if they report that they have a limitation, restriction or impairment, which has lasted, or is likely to last, for at least 6 months and restricts everyday activities. Disability status is voluntarily self-reported.
- Disability status was unknown for 26.1% of Australian Public Service employees in December 2024. Between December 2011 and December 2024, disability status was unknown for between 22.3% and 26.1% of these employees.
- Data on disability status of APS employees is also included in the APS Employee Census. The 2025 APS Employee Census recorded that 13% of APS employees had disability which is more than the proportion reported in APSED data, supplied via agency human resource systems (5.5%). One factor that may be contributing to this difference is that employees may be concerned about their disability status being recorded in their agency’s HR system but comfortable providing this information in a confidential survey.
- Data are for employees aged 15 and over.
- Small discrepancies with data in earlier releases of these webpages are due to revision of the CALD methodology. Previous CALD data are not comparable due to this change in methodology.
Source: Australian Public Service Employment Database (APSED).
Source:
Australian Public Service Employment Database (APSED)
|
Data source overview
For figure notes, see Appendix B: Figure notes and sources.
AIHW (2024) ‘Employment participation needs and challenges’, People with disability in Australia, AIHW, Australian Government, accessed 23 July 2024.
OEDC (Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development) (2022) Youth, OECD, accessed 23 July 2024.
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